New Fiscal Year 2027
Each new fiscal year brings fresh opportunities to strengthen Missouri’s rural communities and build a brighter future together. As we begin fiscal year 2027, Missouri Rural Development State Director Ben Baker and the USDA Rural Development team are grateful for the accomplishments of 2026 and remain committed to helping rural communities grow, thrive, and achieve their goals. Throughout the year, we will share inspiring success stories that showcase the dedication, innovation, and collaboration taking place across Missouri. We hope these stories encourage and support your communities as you pursue economic opportunity, long-term sustainability, and a successful future.
USDA Rural Development Missouri State Director Ben Baker recently joined the Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler for a tour of Shatto Milk Company in Osborn, Missouri. The visit included a rural town hall, “The Voices that Built America,” where SBA, USDA Rural Development, and Farm Service Agency leaders heard directly from rural small-business owners, farmers, and producers about the challenges and opportunities shaping rural America.
Shatto Milk Company is an outstanding example of rural entrepreneurship and innovation. Since fiscal year 2014, the company has received more than $650,000 through USDA Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grant program. These grants helped Shatto Milk Company expand the processing and marketing of its bottled milk, farmstead cheeses, and specialty cheeses.
The roundtable also provided an opportunity for rural business leaders and federal officials to discuss barriers facing rural enterprises, opportunities within local communities and industries, and ways federal resources, including USDA Rural Development’s more than 60 programs—can help drive rural economic growth.
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Hannibal Innovation Center in Hannibal, Missouri
 Gathered for the occasion are school board members, community leaders, project contributors, school representatives, and this year’s Tom and Becky ambassadors. The Tom and Becky Program selects two local seventh graders to portray Mark Twain’s iconic characters and serve as youth ambassadors for Hannibal. Their presence highlights the city’s ongoing tradition of celebrating its history and welcoming visitors. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the center was held on September 30, 2026.
The Hannibal Public School District received a $4 million through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facility Program to renovate the Hannibal Innovation Center and expand career and technical education for students from the district and nine surrounding schools. Supported by $1.7 million from the Missouri Department of Education and more than $16 million in local investment, the center offers hands-on training in fields including automotive, welding, culinary arts, cosmetology, and machine tooling, strengthening the regional workforce and creating pathways to stable careers for rural students.
 The Hannibal Innovation Center in Hannibal, Missouri.
 The Hannibal Innovation Center building before renovations.
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